AWLN-LIBERIA LAUNCHES 5YRS STRATEGIC PLAN
By: Ida Amelia Reeves
LIBERIA-WTVNEWS: The Global Liberia Chapter of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) has officially launched a five (5yrs) strategic plan to build and boost women transformative leadership skills and practices including transforming discriminatory norms, valves and public perception in support of women’s leadership.
The 5yrs plan also seeks to increase access to resources for leaders, their organization and businesses as well as influence the reform and implementation of formal institutions processes policies for women’s leadership.
During the Launch, former Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf rallied Liberian women to assess their progress and impact in Liberia and other parts of the globe.
She said the assessment will develop a track of where women efforts are, where they are going and what should be done in terms of providing leadership in the country.
Making remarks earlier, AWLN- Liberia chairperson Amb. Marjon Kamara said the launch of AWLN- Liberia 5-year strategic plan marks an important turning point in Liberia and will henceforth have an established framework that will conceptualize programs to address leadership challenges of women in Liberia.
She said AWLN Liberia will prioritized women’s political participation and raise awareness about leadership positions in various political parties and as well advocate for greater security for female candidates in elections
Also speaking, the acting UN Women Deputy Country Representative Madam Ghoma Karloweah called on partners for more support to enable UN Women build the capacity of women in different sectors of the country.
Thoma further pledged the UN Women’s unbending commitment to supporting the Women of Liberia.
For her part, Vice President Jewel Howard Taylor congratulated AWLN for the great achievement and coming up with a 5 year roadmap that will direct women ahead of the General and Presidential election scheduled for October 2023.
“AWLN goes across Africa, it intends to mobilize African women in different spare of life by opening new spaces women can be apart, our function is to work and make the difference to impact the next generation so that the work that others did before we came on board, will not be lost” VP Taylor said.
The one day launch of the Strategic Plan which was funded by UN Women, brought together scores of Liberian women including former President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Vice President Jewel Haward Taylor, Acting UN Women Deputy Country Representative Ghoma Karloweah, former Education Minister, Dr. Evelyn Kandakai, Madam Ophelia Hoff Saytumah, Madam Facia Harris, and WONGOSOL head Esther David among others.
Established in 2009, AWLN-Liberia has engaged collaboratively in a number of programs and events in the absence of multi year national plan.
AWLN is a Pan-African network of women leaders promoting women’s leadership with 25 national chapters established in Africa including Liberia National chapter.
The group focus is geared toward transformative leadership, intergenerational mentorship, networking, and advocacy to increase both numerical and substantive which is in line with the Sustainable Development Goal-5 that highlights gender equality ensuring women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all leaves of decision making in political, economic and public lives.
